


12 days of cadnis

by cadyjanis



Series: cadnis [5]
Category: Mean Girls - Richmond/Benjamin/Fey
Genre: Christmas, Cuddling & Snuggling, F/F, Family, Fluff, Holidays, Humor, Kissing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-13
Updated: 2018-12-24
Packaged: 2019-08-25 03:24:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 12
Words: 3,914
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16653340
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cadyjanis/pseuds/cadyjanis
Summary: 12 days of holiday-themed cadnis drabbles!





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> happy holigays this is what i put medicine on hiatus for so i hope it’s worth it

Janis is awoken by a rapping at her window.

 

Jolted from sleep, she blinks into the pale light, dimly surprised when she sees her girlfriend standing outside. Cady waves frantically, beaming from ear to ear.

 

Janis crawls out of bed and wanders over to the window, begrudgingly unlocking it, assaulted instantly by a gust of snippy winter air.

 

“Jesus Christ, the front door is available,” Janis mumbles, but still offers her hand to help Cady in onto the window seat. She immediately slams the pane shut.

 

“Oh, I know,” Cady chirps, shaking snowflakes off her coat onto Janis’s floor as Janis rubs her sleepy eyes. Cady rises onto her toes to give her a swift kiss in greeting. “But my dad is right out there and the window was much closer.”

 

“God, Caddy, I’m in my underwear!” Janis hisses, backing away from the window to grab the nearest hoodie and pair of sweatpants. Cady grins sheepishly, but her red cheeks and bright eyes are far too cute for Janis to stay mad at her for very long.

 

“I wanted to ask if you’d come to breakfast with us,” Cady says hopefully when Janis emerges from the restroom. “Waffle House. He thought it’d be a nice, uh… bonding opportunity.”

 

Cady and Janis started dating just recently, and even though Cady’s parents have known her tall, punk, artsy girlfriend for a while already, Cady’s father probably wants to make sure his only daughter is being loved how she deserves.

 

Janis goes to decline as gently as she can, but considers this and decides it might look bad if she didn’t go. So she sighs, resigned to her fate, and tells Cady to give her five. Cady squeals and kisses her again, then exits out the window a second time to wait in the car.

 

Janis throws on her warmest clothes (admittedly her aesthetic doesn’t accommodate winter), makes her face a tiny bit more presentable, and kisses her mother goodbye at the door. Then she goes to join her future wife and father-in-law.


	2. Chapter 2

Janis’s dad bursts into her room, carrying an oblong box with the preview picture of a fake tree on the side. “For your desk!” he announces, giving it to her.

 

Janis opens her mouth to say a full-sized tree won’t fit in here, then sees this one is eighteen inches. “Oh. Okay. Cool. Thanks, Dad.”

 

“You should invite Cady over, have her help you decorate it,” he offers, and Janis is positive he and Cady’s dad would get along fabulously. They’re both dorky and well-intentioned.

 

Janis takes his suggestion, and ten minutes later Cady is rapping at the window. Janis lets her in, fondly remembering yesterday morning, and they’re so excited to see each other they kiss on Janis’s bed for a solid five minutes.

 

Then Cady shucks off her many layers and demands they get to work. Janis takes the tree out of the box and Cady has a conniption over how cute it is. Janis clears off a corner of her desk, propping it up in its stand, and Cady works on positioning the branches as Janis goes hunting for stuff to hang on them. When she returns, Christmas music is blaring.

 

“Good Lord,” Janis mutters, but gives Cady a kiss. “Here, I found these. They’re the smallest we have, so it’ll probably still look pretty ridiculous…”

 

Together they put hooks on the ornaments, around the LED lights already lit since Cady found a wall outlet behind the desk. Janis is charmed by the reflection in Cady’s eyes; Cady seems to be having the time of her life, decorating this silly little tree that isn’t even her own.

 

If Janis was the Grinch, her heart would be growing right now.

 

When it’s done, she turns off the overhead light and wraps her arms around Cady to admire it. The random assortment of baubles actually doesn’t look too bad. It’s a very… _ Janis  _ tree. Janis grins when that occurs to her. Yeah, it’s a Janis tree.

 

Featuring Cady, of course. If Janis is the ornaments, Cady is definitely the lights: shining and beautiful, accentuating what’s around her. Janis is lucky she’s part of that.


	3. Chapter 3

Cady makes Janis take her Christmas shopping. It’s all snowy and decorated downtown, but the crowds make Cady nervous, so Janis goes with her.

 

Janis looks uncharacteristically non-Janis-like given her haphazard winter wardrobe. But Cady thinks she’s beautiful as ever, and tells her that, and she blushes all the way to her hairline.

 

They peruse shopping centers and stores all day, taking pictures of the decorations and eating lunch in a food court, stealing kisses when they can. People see them holding hands but none mention it; an old lady smiles when she notices. That appears to make Janis relax a bit, since she is understandably nervous about being seen with someone who’s clearly her girlfriend. At school is one thing, but elsewhere is another.

 

Cady buys stuff for her parents, Damian, and her other friends. Janis teases her about buying presents for her; Cady assures her she won’t forget, but what if she already has Janis’s gifts? (She doesn’t, but it doesn’t hurt to say it since it’ll give her more time.)

 

Outside again, Janis keeps a protective arm around Cady at all times. They walk under lights, strung across streets and wrapped around trees. Cady is amazed by it all, and Janis wishes she could see her wear that sweet expression forever.

 

Janis takes Cady home and backs Cady up when Cady tells her mother there’s surprises in all the bags. (Everything paid for by the car-washing, dog-walking, and house-sitting money Cady made this summer.) In retaliation, Mrs. Heron tells Cady to leave her door open.

 

Cady makes Janis wait outside her room while she checks to make sure none of Janis’s gifts are in plain sight. Then she innocently lets her in, and Janis helps her wrap presents as they wait for dinner. (Janis is automatically invited.)

 

Janis takes a picture of Cady with multiple bows stuck to her forehead, and sends it to Damian after making it her lockscreen. She likes it so much it also becomes Cady’s contact photo.

 

Later that night, they talk on the phone for a solid hour, like they just can’t get enough of each other. They make plans for tomorrow, and both go to sleep with a smile.


	4. Chapter 4

There’s blankets upon blankets of snow in Cady’s front yard, so pristine and perfect she feels bad ruining it. But she does, of course, because she’s morally obligated to make snow angels.

 

Janis parks her pickup in the driveway, strolling over to where Cady is rolling in the snow. “You are covered in snow,” she comments, then drops to the ground next to her.

 

Cady happily climbs on top of her, and they wrestle in the snow for several minutes, tossing it at each other and trying to bury one another with it.

 

“I can’t feel my face,” Janis eventually concedes, and Cady tackles her again.

 

They shake off the snow on the front porch and Janis shudders as they step inside the house. “I smell cookies,” she notes, already distracted.

 

Sure enough, Mrs. Heron is baking cookies in the kitchen, and makes both girls sit at the table with blankets wrapped around them until they “don’t look like winter zombies.”

 

Cady sits with her feet in Janis’s lap as the three of them munch on the sugar cookies and put together a puzzle. Janis won’t admit this, but she used to think puzzles were boring; now that her girlfriend likes them, she does, too, and sitting across from Mrs. Heron isn’t as intimidating as it used to be. They get along just fine.

 

Janis is becoming part of the family, apparently. She spends so much time here, anyway. “She might as well have her own room,” Cady’s father had joked the other day. Cady pouted, since she would much rather let Janis sleep with her in her bed…

 

One day, just not anytime soon. Cady is fine with  _ one day  _ because she knows it’ll happen.

 

Later as it’s getting dark, they curl up on the couch under their blankets, watching  _ A Christmas Story _ because it’s Janis’s favorite holiday movie. There’s so many Cady has yet to see given her upbringing, and is happy to indulge Janis.

 

It starts snowing again sometime after dusk. So, naturally, they run back outside.


	5. Chapter 5

“I’m so mad at you for dipping out on Rockin’ Around the Pole this year.”

 

Cady’s jaw drops. “But I’m not a Plastic anymore,” she protests, running to catch up with Janis to make sure she’s not  _ actually  _ mad.

 

Evidently she isn’t, because Janis grins and hooks an arm around Cady’s neck. “I know. But I saw you talking to Gretchen and then Karen told me you aren’t gonna be in it.”

 

Cady frowns. “Since when do you speak to Karen?”

 

“Since that science project we had to do,” Janis says, rolling her eyes. “Well, I did it while she watched and made commentary. That’s why our volcano was sparkly, she made me put glitter on it to make it, and I quote, ‘look cuter.’”

 

Cady snorts. “Well, sorry. About the performance. I don’t want to.”

 

Janis adopts an impish expression. “Would you want to in private? Like, in my room…?”

 

“Janis!” Cady squeals, playfully punching her in the stomach. Janis retaliates by hoisting Cady off the ground and tossing her over her shoulder. Cady yelps, startled, then blushes because people are staring as Janis continues stalking down the hall. “Janis, put me  _ down. _ ”

 

“You’re cute when you’re aggressive. Boss me around some more.”

 

“I’m serious, this is humiliating. Put me  _ down,  _ please.”

 

“Well, because you said please…” Janis gently lowers Cady back down and is bombarded by more punches until she manages to grab Cady’s face and kiss her.

 

“I hate you,” Cady mutters, but links their fingers.

 

“Sure ya do,” Janis teases, letting Cady drag her toward their next class. “But I’m serious, can Regina let you borrow your old costume, just for a night?”


	6. Chapter 6

Of course Cady gets a cold the week before Christmas. Of course.

 

“No, don’t come near me,” she moans as Janis barrels into her room. “I’ll infect you.”

 

“I  _ knew  _ something was wrong,” Janis says, ignoring her as she grabs the blanket at the foot of Cady’s bed to drape over her despite the blankets she’s already buried under. “You never miss Damian’s choir rehearsal. You look awful.”

 

Cady sticks her tongue out as Janis feels her forehead. “I’m aware,” she coughs. “Janis, don’t, I’m serious. Go home.” She grabs a tissue and hacks into it.

 

Janis waits, hands on her hips, until Cady is done. “No,” she replies bluntly. “I’m gonna sit right here and keep you company whether you like it or not.” She retrieves Cady’s desk chair to roll it up to Cady’s bedside, and happily sits.

 

“Why’d my mom even let you in?” Cady mumbles, rubbing her eyes.

 

“She didn’t,” Janis says pleasantly. “She told me your room is a quarantine zone but I snuck in through the back door.” She beams when Cady looks horrified. “C’mon, I’ve done worse.”

 

“I hate you,” Cady moans, hiding her face in her pillow.

 

Janis pouts, arms crossed. “Does that mean I don’t get presents?”

 

“All you’re getting from me is a secondhand cold,” Cady goans. “Janis, really, just go.”

 

“I don’t want to,” Janis says softly. “I wanna take care of you.”

 

Cady sighs and caves by reaching for Janis’s hand. “You can sit here. But you can’t take care of me. This is the closest you’re gonna get.”

 

Janis shrugs, forcing herself to be content with that. She looks out the window and grins when she sees it’s snowing. She points it out. Cady throws a pillow at her.


	7. Chapter 7

“Why are you putting your tree up so late?”

 

“My dad’s been busy,” Janis tells Cady, as the car ambles up to the Christmas tree farm. “So it just means we’ll have it all through the end of February.”

 

They link hands when they exit Janis’s truck. Cady is feeling better today, so she came to help Janis find the right tree. She’s still a little stuffy, so Janis will have her home by six.

 

She’s just happy to be outside, so Janis winds up following her around as she gushes over the trees and points out ones she thinks will look nice in the Sarkisians’ living room. She starts an impromptu game of hide and seek, and Janis hunts through the rows of trees, chasing Cady til she’s able to sneak up behind her.

 

“Gah!” Cady shrieks as Janis tackles her in a hug.

 

“Gotcha. Boop.” Janis taps Cady on the nose. “You’re silly. C’mon, we’re wasting time, all the good trees are gonna be gone if we don’t pick one.”

 

They wind up arguing between Cady’s choice and Janis’s, with Janis winning because it  _ is  _ her Christmas tree. Cady grumbles as the worker cuts down the top and trunk of the tree.

 

They thank him for helping secure it in the back of Janis’s truck, and inside Cady cozies up to her for warmth. Janis puts an arm around her, driving one-handed, Christmas songs bursting from the radio. Cady’s still learning all the words.

 

At Janis’s house, her father has just gotten home from work, so Janis holds the door open as he hauls in the tree. Cady and Janis’s mother retrieve ornaments and lights as he sets the tree in the stand. Janis is glad her parents are pleased with her choice.

 

They also thank Cady for helping, and she beams. Both she and Janis are constantly paranoid the other’s parents hate them, but then are always proven wrong. They can share families.

 

Janis is grateful Cady can be part of hers. Especially at Christmas.


	8. Chapter 8

“This snow is insane. I hate it now because it’s keeping me from you.”

 

Cady makes a sad noise and flops down onto her bed, phone to her ear. “We’re so ridiculous. We see each other literally every day.”

 

“Exactly,” Janis protests. “And now I might not get to see you today because of the snow.”

 

It’s been snowing heavily since the night before, and now both girls are basically prisoners in their own homes, kept from one another by the evil forces of Mother Nature.

 

“I’m sure we can survive  _ one  _ day,” Cady says hopefully. “I mean, distance is good sometimes. It gives us perspective. And a break.”

 

Janis gasps. “Are you saying I’m too much?”

 

“Just a little bit. But you know I love you.”

 

Janis makes an offended noise, and Cady can just picture her pouting on her bed. “Look,” she says diplomatically, “it’s not so bad. Besides, I have stuff to do here that you can’t be around to see, so this is actually the perfect time.”

 

“Hmph. I guess I do, too. Have stuff to get done, I mean,” Janis admits.

 

“Right. So, it’s okay. It’ll stop snowing. And we can try to see each other tomorrow.”

 

“But that’s so far away,” Janis moans, and Cady chuckles. “Don’t laugh. I mean, sorry that I’m so clingy. I just like being near you. You make me happy.”

 

Cady smiles up at her ceiling. “You make me happy, too, Janis. Don’t apologize, I get it.”

 

Janis hums. “Okay,” she sighs. “I’ll let you go do your stuff now, I guess.”

 

Cady grins. “Yeah, you too. I’ll talk to you later, babe.”


	9. Chapter 9

Cady leaps into Janis’s arms when Janis bounds up the Herons’ porch steps, and they hug for a solid two minutes prior to Cady’s mom ushering them inside.

 

“Did you enjoy your day off from being my girlfriend?” Cady teases as Janis takes off her many layers, practically lost in her coat and scarves.

 

Janis pouts. “It wasn’t a day off. I missed you like crazy.”

 

Cady hums and pecks her lips. “Did you get done what you needed to for Christmas?”

 

At first Janis looks confused, then remembers. “Ohhh. Uh-huh. Yeah. I’m actually not done yet but I worked on it a lot yesterday.”

 

Cady links their hands and tugs Janis up the staircase. She wrapped Janis’s gifts and they are hidden in her closet, ready to be given on Tuesday. She can only imagine what she’ll get from her very artsy, very loving girlfriend. Probably something made from scratch.

 

Janis tackles her with kisses once they’re alone, making up for lost time. Cady’s twinkle lights glimmer above their heads, her calves wrapped around Janis’s waist, and for a long time they lay with their hands intertwined, mouths brushing together.

 

“Sorry for being clingy,” Janis murmurs, peppering Cady’s jaw with kisses, “but I just hate not being able to do this whenever I want to.”

 

“Except you do,” Cady retorts, giggling. “It was  _ one day,  _ Janis. You survived pretty well.”

 

“Barely,” Janis whines, squeezing her now, faced pressed against Cady’s neck. She sighs, her breath warm on Cady’s skin, and Cady runs her fingers through Janis’s hair.

 

Yeah, she had a rough time without her girl, too.

 

“This is a good present,” Janis mumbles after a bit, sounding like she’s about to fall asleep. It makes Cady grin, and she has to agree with her.


	10. Chapter 10

“The mall two days before Christmas is even more hectic than the savannah during mating season,” Cady mutters, and Janis nearly spits out her coffee.

 

“Caddy,” she chokes, wide-eyed but laughing.

 

They’re last-minute shopping for their parents and friends, hands linked as they scour the mall for just the right things. They capture candids of each other for no reason, at one point asking a kind stranger to take a couple of them in front of the big tree in the middle of the mall. Cady’s happy to be seen with her girlfriend, and the more they do it, Janis’s confidence grows.

 

They pick out cards for their friends, choosing one that sings to give to Damian, knowing he’ll love it and want to show everyone. They stop to get fresh-baked cookies so they can sit and people-watch for a bit, huddled together for warmth.

 

Bags on the arms that aren’t linked, they eventually amble out of the mall, carefully crossing the parking lot to Janis’s truck. Cady turns on the radio the moment the engine starts, always eager to catch up on songs she hasn’t heard yet. Janis smiles when she isn’t looking, more in love than she was five seconds ago.

 

They get cocoa at the Dunkin’ Donuts drive-thru, and Janis takes Cady through the random nearby neighborhoods so she can look at people’s decorations. She points everything out as if Janis isn’t also seeing it, taking pictures of her favorites to send to Damian.

 

Janis is glad Cady finally gets to experience the holidays like a normal person rather than see things through apathetic Plastic eyes. Cady has been happier this entire month than the whole of her first school year at North Shore.

 

They go back to Janis’s house to wrap gifts, sitting on Janis’s bed in a sea of wrapping paper, Christmas music blasting from Janis’s computer. They mostly bought little extra things since they did go shopping already this month, but Cady still insists on wrapping it all, even stuff that could be considered stocking stuffers, trying to beat Janis at being the best gift wrapper ever.

 

Later on Janis’s porch, they kiss goodbye under the mistletoe aptly placed above the door.


	11. Chapter 11

Cady’s gifts for her parents are the first to go under the tree on Christmas Eve morning. She prematurely stuffs their stockings, and gets to work on filling the surprise one for Janis. Maybe she went overboard with gifts, but wants Janis to know how much she loves her, and to make their first Christmas memorable.

 

As for Janis, she completes the finishing touches on her gift for Cady. She has one big gift box full of little things she knows Cady will love, but this one is special.

 

Cady calls around noon to say hi and ask if Janis wants to have lunch with her and Damian. Janis’s relatives are coming later for dinner, but her mother lets her go out with her friends, as long as she’s back by four to help prepare.

 

Lunch, for the three of them, means late breakfast at Waffle House. Damian and Janis pelt each other with straw wrappers as Cady makes a house out of sugar packets. As they wait for their food, they talk about what they think they’re getting for Christmas, Cady and Janis fully teasing one another. Damian tells them he’s going caroling with his choir group later, and Janis makes fun of him, because who the hell still goes Christmas caroling?

 

“Yeah, and who’s gonna open the door for you?” Cady points out, and Janis grins, bumping her boot to her leg under the table.

 

“Don’t team up against me!” he complains. “That’s not fair.”

 

Janis sticks her tongue out at him, earning a sugar packet to the forehead.

 

Later, Janis somehow manages to survive dinner with her family, who still don’t understand the whole gay thing but are tolerant of her weird wardrobe nonetheless. There’s a knock at the door as Janis’s mom is serving dessert, and Janis knows who it is before she opens it.

 

Damian and Cady are standing on her porch, bundled up in their scarves and hats, and Janis contentedly leans against the doorway as they belt  _ All I Want For Christmas Is You. _

 

“Nice,” she claps when they’re done, her relatives behind her. “You guys want cobbler?”


	12. Chapter 12

Christmas isn’t complete until Cady and Janis can see each other.

 

Cady squeals with delight when she sees Janis pull into her driveway, and runs out without a coat to greet her, nearly knocking Janis over in her haste to hug her.

 

Janis is pleased at the light in Cady’s eyes when she notices the blanket-covered mass on the seat in Janis’s truck. “Oh, what’s all that?”

 

“Stuff,” Janis teases, spinning her around and nudging her back toward the house. “Go inside, it’s freezing. I’ll be right there. And no, you can’t help me. Go.”

 

Cady trudges back up the porch steps, closing her eyes when Janis tells her to. Janis sneaks past her into the house, carrying the gift box and canvas painting. Cady’s mom and dad shout their hellos from the living room, and Cady shuts the door with her eyes still shut.

 

Janis makes Cady go upstairs first, and once they’re in her room, she puts the painting on the bed and says, “Okay, open your eyes.”

 

Cady gasps, then starts crying. It’s a painting of her and Janis, kissing and wearing Santa hats with a Christmas tree in the background. Cady thanks her with real kisses upon kisses, saying it’ll go up on the wall right next to the one from Janis’s art show.

 

Cady loves her gift box as well, little things Janis knew she’d want. Then Cady retrieves all of Janis’s neatly wrapped presents, against Janis’s protests that she got her too much.

 

Overall, both are ecstatic over their gifts, and Cady helps Janis put on her new necklace, one half of a heart while Cady has the other.

 

“Merry Christmas,” Cady sighs, cuddled up to Janis’s side with wrapping paper around them.

 

“Merry Christmas,” Janis echoes, kissing her forehead.

 

Both would agree this is the best Christmas ever. Being together is the nicest part.

**Author's Note:**

> thank you for reading this little series! merry christmas to you all! the past few months writing for mean girls have been a journey and i couldn’t be more grateful to have found such a supportive and fetch fandom. i appreciate all my readers and hope you have a very happy holiday. see you in 2019! thank you and much love! 💝


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